


To See if I Still Feel

by musicalgirl4474



Series: Psychology terms are Great Batfamily Prompts [1]
Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Bat Family, Gen, Jason Todd is Dead, M/M, Therapy, age reverse, this family is a mess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-03
Updated: 2019-02-03
Packaged: 2019-10-21 07:45:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,071
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17638688
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/musicalgirl4474/pseuds/musicalgirl4474
Summary: Personality Psychologist- Focus on the personDifferent people in the same situation.Jason is dead, and Batman's gone and done something STUPID. Dinah doesn't know what to make of this family."There was something to be said about trying to help a member of the batfamily via psychology. They had all gone through so much, together and individually, and they never reacted in the same way to the same situation."





	To See if I Still Feel

**Author's Note:**

> This one is a reverse age fic. Damian (Shadow) is eldest, followed by Tim (Red Bat), then Jason (Batboy/ Red Hood), and Dick (Robin) is the youngest.
> 
> (Title from the song 'Hurt'. I listen to Johnny Cash's version, but I think it's originally performed by nine inch nails)

There was something to be said about trying to help a member of the batfamily via psychology. They had all gone through so much, together and individually, and they never reacted in the same way to the same situation. Batman hardly ever showed any emotion, and it was the same with his blood son, Shadow. Red Bat, Batman’s second protegè, was every bit the detective his mentor was, maybe even better. Still, he showed some emotion, most obvious when he was with Superboy (Kon-El, Conner). Batboy had been a piece of work. A lot of emotion, anger, fear, an overabundance of energy. He felt everything to an extent that he didn’t let his team know about, because he was a bat, and he couldn’t cry, couldn’t show that kind of intense emotion. And then he had died, and little more than a month later, Robin was there. He was unlike any of the others. Whatever emotion he was feeling, he was willing to show. He was largely happy, though he looked beyond sad whenever anyone mentioned Batboy. He was also young, two years younger (at eight) than Shadow had been when he had first been Batman’s protegè, and five years younger than Red Bat and Batboy had been.

The first time that Black Canary had had to help the entire Bat Family was when Batboy died. Batman had only shown up because of Superman’s intervention, and he dragged Shadow with him. Red Bat, she was pretty sure, only came because he wanted to see Kon, and Batman was doing his overprotective/smothering act. She hadn’t seen Robin at the first few sessions; indeed, she hadn’t known that he existed. He must have though, because Batman wouldn’t let an eight-year-old with less than a month of training out on the streets of Gotham.

Batman had been stoic, silent and brooding. Grieving. Shadow had been angry, fists almost constantly clenched in his black gloves, eyes narrowed under his domino mask. Glaring at his father. Red Bat had stood at the back of the room, arms crossed against the red chest of his costume, glaring moodily at the wall. Black Canary sighed. She had her work cut out for her.

“Why don’t you sit down, Red Bat?”

“I’m fine where I am, thank you.” His curt, clipped words betrayed his pain. Red Bat and Batboy had been quite a bit closer than Shadow and Red Bat, or even Shadow and Batboy.

“Alright.” She directed her next question to Shadow. Best not to make this feel like an interrogation, that would do no good for anyone. “How are you holding up?” Shadow just scowled, crossing his arms as well as he turned away to glare at a wall, taking a visible effort to unclench his hands.

“She asked you a question, Shadow.”

“It’s open for you to answer or not,” Black Canary said quickly. Maybe she should have done this one-on-one. Batman was not helping. Shadow snarled, ignoring what Black Canary had just said, rounding on his father.

“Shut up!” Red Bat jumped, looking in some surprise at Shadow, who was almost always respectful towards his father, and who never used anything that might be considered ‘slang’. Black Canary, leaned back in her chair, ready to get out of the way at any moment. Shadow didn’t show much emotion, but when he got angry, something was going to break. “You don’t get to try and facilitate my answering any questions in this room! It is your fault we’re here! One would think you would learn, learn that you can’t fit a human being into a mold that you created. Apparently you didn’t, and that cost me a brother! And . . . and then you go and . . .” Were those . . . were those tears? “You go and find another . . . to occupy your time . . . as if it meant nothing to you! As if you have not learned! Just going to keep trying until you create the perfect little soldier, huh, Batman?!”

“Shadow-” Red Bat cut in, stepping forward, but Shadow shook his head, glaring at the younger hero.

“He’s not even cold in the ground,” he hissed at Batman. “Not even cold in the ground and it is obvious that you. Don’t. Care.” The last three words were punctuated with a finger prodding Batman’s chest. “I can’t stand to look at you.” And he rose from the chair, black tattered cape waving behind him as he pulled up his hood and left the room. He probably would have slammed the door if it weren’t mechanical. With a growl, Batman got up as well, following his son out into the rest of the mountain. With another sigh, Black Canary turned to the last occupant. Red Bat shrugged.

“It’s been like that at home all day. Most of yesterday too. Shadow’s angry that Batman didn’t tell him about . . . about it until yesterday. He couldn’t even go to the funeral.”

“Ah. That must have been hard.” She leaned forward, a cue that he could talk about anything, and she would listen. Red Bat was likely to open up a little more with Batman gone.

“It’s been lonely at home. They’re either yelling at each other or brooding. And it’s not like any of us is good at defusing that kind of tension. Only . . . only he could sometimes manage it, by doing something stupid but . . . well, he’s gone now, so.” He paused here to wipe at the tears as they slid from under his red domino mask. He came forward from the wall and collapsed into the chair where Shadow had been sitting. In front and slightly to the right of Black Canary. He’d forgone the chair Batman had sat in, the one directly in front of her. “And Batman’s gone and made it worse, he’s scared Shadow and me ‘cause he’s gone and-” Red Bat stopped there, looking shocked.

“Nothing you say leaves this room,” Black Canary prompted. Red Bat chuckled.

“You may not be able to stop yourself. I won’t leave a mark on your patient-doctor confidentiality, Canary.” He got up to leave then. “I’ll try to bring them back for another one next week,” he said, though from the tone of his voice, he wasn’t sure he’d succeed.

“Conner’s in the living room,” Canary said as Red Bat reached the door. Maybe he’d talk with Superboy about whatever it was that was bothering him. He turned and flashed her a smile.

“Thanks.”


End file.
